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Open Source Male Privilege Checklist
This is a Privilege checklist for men in Open Source. * The leader of any open source project I contribute to is probably of my gender. * The vast majority of my co-contributors are of my gender. * If I work in documentation, artwork, or community management I will not hear anything like "ah yes, of course, men do have a lot to contribute in those areas." * If I am appointed to a position of technical leadership, even trolls won't think to ask who I had sex with in order to gain the appointment. * When I attend a conference or user group meeting, I won't stand out on account of my gender. * No one will explain the mystery of my presence at events by reference to the involvement of my obviously more technical female partner. * If conference presentations contain sexualized content, it is usually intended to appeal to people of my gender and sexual preference. * If something of mine is linked on Slashdot, commenters will not generally comment on my sexual attractiveness or availability. * By and large, I can publish profile data about myself without having to worry about it being used to harass me. * Conference tshirts are generally available in my size and preferred cut. * People of my gender are not generally used as examples of the most clueless possible user. * I will seldom be asked for my opinions on anyone's personal lives or emotional crises when trying to participate in technical forums. * I will not be welcomed into a new project because I will make it sexier and more fun. * My arrival in a new project will not be heralded because no one there has ever encountered or heard of a technical person of my gender before. * Even if my name is not obviously gendered in English or other Western European languages, strangers and close colleagues who haven't met me alike will still discuss me using the correct grammatical gender in languages that require it (English he, Spanish él and matching adjectives, etc). * I can participate in Open Source without being compelled to expend time and energy on discussions surrounding my gender. * If I do comment on gender-related issues in Open Source development, I will not be forever best known for my gender-related activism. * If my contributions are less than perfect, it won't be attributed to my gender. * If my contributions are less than perfect, I won't get a patronizing "pass" because of my gender. * I am unlikely to refrain from contributing for fear of making mistakes and hence living up to the stereotype that my gender is less capable of valuable contributions. * If my contributions are exceptional, they won't be considered to have been accomplished in spite of my gender. * I can be confident that all recognition I get from peers is the result of my work and not my attractiveness. * If someone offers to mentor or otherwise assist me, I can be well-nigh certain that the person is genuinely interested in helping me, as opposed to primarily being interested in making a pass at me. Category:Privilege Category:Checklists